HIGH SCHOOLS: Abington, Cashman recipient of Best Buddy Award

The Abington High School hockey team, led by captain Brian Cashman, will receive The Institute of Real Estate Management/Team Surge Best Buddy Award

John O'Callaghan The Enterprise JOCallaghan_ENT

The power of sports stretches far beyond the playing surface.

The Abington High School hockey team, led by captain Brian Cashman, has been named recipients of The Institute of Real Estate Management/Team Surge Best Buddy Award.

Cashman, a senior at Abington, took a fellow Green Wave student under his wing and enlisted him as the team manager.

Abington athletic director Peter Serino explain how it came about.

“It’s something we’ve started a few years back, this particular student was on the golf team, always loved hockey,” Serino said. “Brian went up to him and asked if he’d like to be a manager on the hockey team.”

Serino is not surprised that Cashman went out of his way to make sure the student felt welcomed and a part of the community.

“That’s just how Brian is, he’s a welcoming kid,” Serino noted. “He’s a great athlete, plays three sports, but more importantly he’s a kind and genuine kid.”

Brian Smith, Abington hockey head coach, shed some light on how helpful the student was toward the team this season.

“He fit right in with us the second he showed up, the team had him in the locker room and anytime they were just getting together outside of the rink,” Smith said via a press release sent out by the school. “We really needed someone to handle some stats for us like shots on goal and faceoff wins/losses and he was a perfect fit. It was so helpful for us to be able to just ask him for totals in-between periods and we could make needed adjustments quickly.”

Even with Cashman graduating this year, he took strides in making sure the student will still be a part of the hockey program.

“Brian didn’t want this to be a one-year thing,” Serino said. “He took underclassmen under his wing to make sure (the tradition continues).”

Abington works alongside Unified Sports and the All-Town Tigers through the Special Olympics organization. Unified Sports pairs students who have disabilities and aligns them with coaches and mentors.

The team and Cashman individually are set to be honored at the Team Surge Hockey Tournament on April 14 at Bavis Arena in Rockland. The tournament will start at noon with all proceeds from the event going towards the Best Buddies Organization. The presentation of awards will take place at 1:15 p.m.